Certified Foodies - This is the only food blog that makes me pay attention. I think it has influenced me so much that when she wrote about KFC's products, I immediately went to the other city and had to try it for myself. The descriptions are vivid that it was mouthwatering and I felt as if I was pregnant again because I craved and demanded my hubby to buy me the food.

My Painted Lips - This is a blog authored by truly an influential blogger. I have never been into cosmetics. Just reading her tagline made me realize that even if I don't have to wear a corporate suit to work everyday or that I blog in my shorts, I can still change the way I feel by changing the color of my lips. I learn something new everyday about cosmetics and specially lipstick.

Mommy Survival Guide - is a how-to survive the greatest challenge of all, being a mom. Practicality and experience has taught this mom and she is now sharing to the world what she knows. Her blog is a must-read for those who want to survive in the jungle called parenting.

Green Living Ideas - is a blog that helps you go green! Ideas that will help you save the planet. Starting with yourself and your surroundings. This is certainly a blog worth reading and mentioning because it is crucial to the survival of our planet and us, as a species.

The Tottering Mama - is a mom blog that shows you how to teach your kids, events that attracts moms and just juggling between work, being a mom, and tottering all over the place. It's a great read and should be a great influence for moms looking for that balance between their activities.

Notepad Corner - is a blog I enjoy visiting because of the design. It really is suited to the blog's name. It's something that once you see it, you don't forget how it looks like. Even more enjoyable is the fact that the blog is full of useful information. Truly a blog worth taking note of.

The Pepperific Life - is a blog that is authored by a single mom. At present time, this is a circumstance already understood and truly is the most challenging of all. To raise a child by one's self, well, she must be supermom to be able to manage at all. She writes about her dreams for her child, and how she learns from the child in an engaging manner, you can't help but be drawn to her writing.

The Bloggers Journal - is a blog filled with important information for bloggers. It is a must read, whether your a newbie in blogging, a professional or just plain curious. Information is important and this blog has it and shares it in a way that readers will understand. Learning is a never-ending process and you learn something new by reading this influential blog.

Levyousa - Just by the title, I am hooked, being the Harry Potter fan that I am. This blog is full of positivity and well you can't help but levitate when you read it. Kidding aside, An engaging blog that is filled with observations, point of views and great finds around the web. Definitely something you'll add to your bookmarks.

Mom Writes - One of the most prolific blogging moms I've met online, she surely is influential! Mommy Ruby is an influential person who has been blogging for a long time and is very successful at it. She can spearhead an event, organization, and finds the time to be a proud Mommy of 3. If there is someone you'd want to influence you, she's definitely one of them.

The movie stars Jake Gylenhall whom I must admit looks good as the guy you want to believe in and be with you when the world ends. Some scenes that I loved from this movie, was when they were stuck in the library and they had to choose what kind of books they would have to tear and burn, I love that they were fighting and the answer that came was so simple. Taxes. Books on Taxes. I really laughed at that part. I mean, it was the perfect choice. History will be rewritten and new ways of computing taxes if and when anyone survived would be implemented.

Other touching scenes include other countries accepting the Americans since they were the ones who were the most devastated. I also cried a bit when he tried to keep the people from going out but since he's just a kid, and everything is frozen solid the people thought they were safer risking it out there.

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A few days back, my friends and I were discussing about education. We were a collection of parents and grandparents waiting for the dismissal of our respective wards. The conversation veered to test scores and when we should really focus on our ward's education. Opinions differed but most agree that an early start never hurts.

Nowadays, when it comes to chances of becoming employed, you need all the advantage you can get. It is definitely more difficult to get high-paying and quality jobs because people have learned the secret, that to become hired, you must invest in yourself. This is what my husband applied in his life. He is a graduate of a premier university of the country with a course of BS.Math, but he didn't stop there. He went on to study in a business school to make his curriculum vitae look good and for our future because we plan to run our own business someday.

This is the edge that he has from other college instructors in his school. It is also an edge that he can make use of in case we plan to move to a different country or province. Certainly, going to a business school helps and it wouldn't hurt if you make great grades.

Baguio is a place close to my heart. I was born there. Stayed for a few months and left forever. Only to return to visit doctors.

On the Way

On the way, I was riding infront...Mom and her friend was at the back. If she rode in the front, she would have suffered neck pains on the 2 and a half hour trip. First stop would be MetroBaguio Laboratories. They are the ones we've been going to for a long time now. We get our blood work and urinalysis done. Head on to Jollibee at Magsaysay where all the buses are lined up. I usually order my favorite breakfast - Tapa! and my mom would order Longganisa.

We travel on to Pink Sisters and prayed for our health and the safety of our family, friends and relatives. To relax, my mom and her friend who loves to garden went to BSU Orchidarium.

Then, it's the moment of truth. We go back to the laboratory to gather our results. But we don't leave the Orchidarium without buying some cacti, roses and other plants. We get our results. Bad Mys! Bad Mys! Bad blood sugar results and suffering from UTI... oh my! Must drink water...gallons of it.

Worse results for my Mom, but she's older and she's been diabetic longer. Her health improved though compared to last year's laboratory results. Good for Mom! Bad for me! Have lunch at SM Baguio at Deco's. Simple lunch of La Paz Batchoy - Original. Noodles weren't that cooked to my liking but it's ok.

Escaped to buy a puzzle board, a book, and bottle nips by Avent. I got attracted by an Angry Bird shirt and forgot all about the shirt that Hubby really wanted. I'm such a forgetful human.

The next part of the day is to Notre de Chartres Hospital. We're on a queue to meet up with 4 doctors. A heart specialist, a kidney specialist, and the diabetelogist. The eye doctor was cancelled because he is on vacation. I know what they're gonna say. But surprise of all surprises, the doctor ordered my mom to be confined for an executive checkup and I am forced to get one too.

Health comes first. I may resist the idea but it is for the best if I want to see my kids grow up. My lab results are in normal values except the blood sugar which I blame to peer pressure in having snacks while waiting at the canteen for my kids to be dismissed from school. I shall now stay away from rice cakes. (LOL!)

Going back to Baguio on Monday. But I will be confined inside the hospital. Come visit me there! Kidding!

Before we went home, I kept seeing the sign that announced that they sold Pancit Batil Patung. I thought that was a perfect take home food for my hubby. He's from Cagayan and I'm pretty sure he missed eating it. Got them from Gablets... I highly recommend it but the place seems deserted. Maybe they are more famous for their catering???

We recently caught in the news about the 3 year old girl who visited a neighbor, played with a gun, and accidentally shot herself. That piece of news just shocked and scared me. My husband owns a gun. We never put it in a place where children can reach it. I've just also started learning about guns, shooting a gun, cleaning a gun, keeping it safe.

Safety should be the number one priority when it comes to being a responsible gun owner. It is our job to keep the people around us safe. A gun is not to be used to commit a crime but prevent a crime from happening. Even handling the gun of someone else is a no-no, unless you've been taught the basics. Don't point the gun at persons. Keep the safety on at all times.

It's The 3rd Thursday of the month, today's letters are supposed to be for kids.

My dear children,

Today is a very important day for our family. It is the birthday of your father. Yes, finally Daddy Pedz is the same age again with mommy. Mommy is beginning to feel so ancient. We are glad that daddy has reached the age of 31, as he jokingly said, he may be at the end of the calendar, but don't forget he will still be at the lotto, and even in bingo.

We are also celebrating the 18th anniversary of the company your grandmother put up. Hopefully, one or both of you will be interested in running it in the future. It may be little but at least it has survived18 years, and you should always be proud of that.

So to Mama...Happy Anniversary! God Bless and More Power (that's what you kids are going to say) and to Daddy, a Very Happy Birthday . Tell Daddy that his present is going to be given on Christmas as mommy is currently broke right now.

Don't forget to give the cards you made and lots of kisses and hugs. Plus, I hope you remember what reviewed since it is your last day of exams tomorrow. Good Luck Kiddos!

I need all the help I can get. I would like to win some $$$. The amount I was expecting from my blogging opportunities is being withheld. They are not paying me, and I thought that I would be paid August 9, they changed the date and moved it a month later. I was planning to use some of the money to buy my husband a gift. Could you please be on my side for more blog contests? I know I've already won, and you might think I'm abusing you or taking for granted the stuff I've won, but I do need it. But if you find someone who deserves it more, then I will understand. I can always get him a present next year. Thanks. Hope that you will be by my side as always. Again, thank you.

For me to be able to attend private school here in our city, my mom who is a single mom raised me on the salary of a teacher. After a while, she decided to sell some things. She learned how to sell imported goods, shirts, clothes, lipsticks, even slippers and bedsheets. She would joke that she experienced selling everything except herself and coffins.

Now, her dream business is that of a pawnshop. She thinks there's no loss in a pawnshop. A pawnshop mainly relies on the price of gold. It is important to know the current gold price in every transaction. Jewelries are actually priced by its weight and gold prices. We even planned to attend a seminar discussing it. But most seminars are held in Manila so we didn't pursue it then.

You also have to check the gold spot or know how to spot gold from the fake ones. This is what pawnshop owners should really study the art of appraisals. Future pawnshop owners should also invest on great insurance companies, a solid security, and the study of gold and jewelry.

I agree with my mom that a pawnshop would be a good business but I think it is too much of a risk. It's a very high-risk business where a lot have experienced mugging, even murdered because of it. Thieves tend to target it because jewelry is easy to pocket and is always a sound investment since its value appreciates like land properties.

I'm perfectly happy with my prizes. If you know me, you should know by now that these are the kind of contests I love to join because it could be for me, about blogging or for my kids. I just wish I can also win a prize from Pinay WAHMs and The Filipina WAHM or Yugatech's Cherry Cosmo giveaway and Jes's 30th Birthday and the rest of the contests at my sidebar. Check them out and you may get lucky yourself.

I had 2 movies in mind when I first read the topic, since I have begun to come back slowly to the blogging world. Well, first thought was Autumn in New York. But then, I went back a little earlier and found a movie that engaged me more and really made me feel New York.

New York actually is a place close to my heart because one of my aunts, and I only have 2 currently lives in New York. They are the only relatives I have that we dearly call 'New Yorkers'.

Without further ado, my pick for this week is "You've Got M@il!"

I love the part when they walk around in the morning, inspired by their conversation through email the day before. The bakeries opening, the smell of sharpened pencils, the streets and that his nickname through chat is his address. It's all totally cute! That daisies are the happiest flowers and that he needs to do a little tweaking.

I could go on and on but New York was really showcased in this movie and I think it's a great movie with great actors.

Jared is turning 2, and his blog is turning 1. With all the blessing's they've received Jared and his Mom, they now intend to share it with the blogosphere. So what are you waiting for? Need more enticement?

A themed party with Jared's Favorite Characters and kids who will have fun at his party. It could be Angry Birds, Barney, or of course, Elmo!!!

An entertainer for kids, it all depends on Jared of course. My kids don't like clowns and are afraid of the mascots of the restaurants. Once they see the entertainers, they ask me to come home. Magicians are ok though. They entrance and not scare.